For the first time in league history, the WNBA used in-game wearables by KINEXON and optical tracking technology by Hawk-Eye to generate 3D immersive highlights, which were used in real time during Prime Videos broadcast of the inaugural WNBA Commissioners Cup Championship Game. All year, league executives were gratified that ESPN agreed to increase its investment in the league and air a record 37 games across its networks, about three times its typical WNBA slate. NBA vs WNBA: Revenue, Salaries, Attendance, Ratings - World Sports Network Kelsey Plum on WNBA Viewership, That 'Tiny' All-Star MVP - Peoplemag Viewership increased 23% from last year's three-game sweep (Storm-Aces: 444K) and up 43% from the five-game Mystics-Sun series in 2019 (381K). Viewership of 2020 WNBA Finals up 15 percent from 2019 - Swish Appeal statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. The rest, as they say, is history. Today's top WNBA players can earn upwards of $500,000, courtesy of last year's landmark collective bargaining agreement, which guaranteed new maternity benefits and better travel conditions. Adrienne Goodson: WNBA must capitalize on record growth in 2021 The showdown between UConn and Baylor in the Elite Eight round was themost-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, excluding Final Four matchups, reported Forbes. The WNBA capped off the season by announcing that WNBA League Pass, the leagues out-of-market regular season live game package that also features highlights and off-the-court content from the 2022 season as well as every archived game since the 2015 season, would now be available through Roku. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [] Accessed March 05, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1236723/wnba-regular-season-viewers/, SportsPro. They did that during the NBC days. I think the social media engagement was so it was different than last year, it was more intense, everyone was more excited. And Buzzer began featuring live content and WNBA League Pass games on its mobile platform in the companys first foray into womens professional sports. That parts crazy to me. According to WNBA statistics, 75 percent of the fans in attendance at a WNBA game are female. Overall, WNBA ratings were down, but the Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm were up 15% from the 2019 five-game series between the Aces and the Washington Mystics the year prior. Here is the average WNBA attendance by team for the 2021 regular season: Total WNBA attendance by team in 2021 was led by the Phoenix Mercury with 93,585 fans. [12] The WNBA capped off its historic 25thregular season by delivering its most-watched season since 2008 for its television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 viewershipwas up 51% over the 2020 season. Currently, you are using a shared account. "Average Tv Viewers of The Wnba Regular Season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s). statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. Womens basketball has steadily increased viewership year-over-year. 4), and the Chicago Sky (No. New York Liberty (No. This may not be a world title match like some viewers hoped, but Cody Rhodes seems destined to topple The Tribal Chief. The regular season takes place in summer from May to August and the play-offs in. The champion Chicago Sky sold out both of their home games during the Finals and ticket . Most Super Bowl wins by NFL team 1967-2023, Average ticket price in the NFL by team 2021, FIFA World Ranking: top male soccer teams 2022, Athletic footwear global market share by company 2015, Health & Fitness Clubs - Statistics & Facts, Sporting goods industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts, Research expert covering sports and video gaming, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. 2), the Las Vegas Aces (No. Across 17 games, the 2021 playoffs averaged 367,000 viewers, 63 per cent higher than the entire 2020 postseason (226,000 average viewers) and 42 per cent higher than 2019 (258,000 average. It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. Twenty-five years ago, the National Basketball Association Board of Directors approved the Womens National Basketball Association. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. And the 2019 finals featuring the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics averaged 386,000 viewers and lasted five games. Game 2 was the most watched Game 2 since 2003, peaking with 1 million viewers. The 2021 Finals are the most viewed since the 2017 Finals between the LA Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx, which registered 563,000 viewers. Terrell Buckley, a 14-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion, knows a thing or two about work ethic and during an XFL game on Sunday, he blasted his team for their performance. The network said Game 3 was the most-watched, with an average of 524,000 viewers. In that year, the WNBA averaged 413,000 viewers. Measuring the post-season revenue is a bit difficult, but estimating is assisted by presented viewership numbers. Despite being virtual as opposed to broadcast live from Nike Headquarters in New York City they are the two most-viewed WNBA Drafts in nearly 20 years. For a league that is still focused on growth and evening the playing field, the virtual pandemic season still produced reason for optimism. 2021 was also home to the most-viewed regular season game since 2012, when the Seattle Storm faced the Chicago Sky on August 15 on ABC, averaging 755,000 viewers. Sue Bird(No. There have been ups and downs along the way, including a worldwide pandemic the league is still navigating this season. The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. WNBA Viewership of 2020 WNBA Finals up 15 percent from 2019 In a time when many of America's major professional sports leagues are struggling to maintain their usual viewership, the 2020. At a time when sports continue to shed live viewers, the WNBAs numbers this year shows they still have not hit their ceiling. September 21, 2022. We've been waiting for this kind of recognition for so many years. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. WNBA basketball. The NBAs average ticket price is variously reported at between $51 to $89; the WNBAs $17. Women's sports: TV viewership is way up, but media coverage lags The strong showing in 2021 made it the most-viewed postseason since 2014. Early signs indicate the WNBA Draft Class of 2021 might have an excellent chance to parlay solid NCAA ratings not only into WNBA viewers but also lucrative sponsorships. Recently, Draymond Green, one of those highly paid male players, poured a little gas on the fire by offering his opinions on the subject (in short, the women shouldnt complain). Super Bowl averages 113 million viewers, 3rd-most watched in history The Kansas City Chiefs' 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl LVII is on pace to become the third most-watched [] ESPN's WNBA Draft Viewership Up 20% Over 2021 On TNT, in the measurement from 2011-12, NBA viewership is down 40%. In essence Black males are the main supporters of the WNBA, yet Layshia Clarendon decided to focus her anger towards them. May 26, 2022. These decreases are what sitcoms experience before cancellation. four quarters in both an NBA and WNBA game (each quarter is 12 minutes for the men and 10 minutes for the women). Discover WNBA viewership by year According to Statista, the average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season in 2016 was 224,000 and grew to 246,000 in 2019. A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox. The Rising Sun - Video - TSN Each of Wilson, Stewart and Bird generated more than $600,000 in social value this season, in large part because they were some of the most active athletes on the platform when it came to sharing content from other brands and personalities. The four-round WNBA postseason features the eight teams with the best regular-season records. Stats - Atlanta Dream The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a drop of 16 per cent on the previous year. The 2021 NCAA Womens Final Four pulled some of its highest viewership numbers ever. Well, either way, its a tough sell for a league that cant turn a profit and survives on handouts from the NBA. The NBA opened the 2020-21 season to a strong start after enjoying the most-watched opening week since 2012, with combined viewership up 67% compared to last year. Four other ABC telecasts this season became most-viewed regular season games since 2012: ESPN has been a WNBA rights-holder since the leagues inception 25 years ago and has a multi-platform rights agreement through 2025. According to The Athletic, the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game peaked at 768,000 viewers. A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video, with Amazon receiving exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games each season. The NBA Has Gone Off A Ratings Cliff - FITSNews You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. National Basketball Association all-time triple double leaders 1946-2022, Value of National Basketball Association franchises 2022, National Basketball Association all-time assists leaders 1946-2023. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 60m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. The showdown between UConn and Baylor in the Elite Eight round was the most-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, excluding Final Four matchups. The 2019 NBA Finals averaged a little more than 20 million viewers per game; the 2019 WNBA Finals averaged about 400,000 viewers per game. All Rights Reserved, Pay disparity between NBA, WNBA is a numbers game, Draymond Green, one of those highly paid male players, poured a little gas on the fire, the WNBA has lost an average of $10 million every year it has existed. So while television ratings were down 16 percent in the regular season, the league was pleased to simply be on more screens and in more minds during a blitz of sports in the late summer. During 2021 opening weekend, Sky-Mystics WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.39 rating and 611,000 viewers on ABC, and a rematch of that Storm-Aces final later that day averaged a 0.39 and 598,000 on ABC both securing a place in the top three records of the leagues largest regular season audience in nine years, at that time. Black History Month: Emerging Leaders | Renee Montgomery: An Owner with a Players Perspective, WNBA Draft 2023 Presented By State Farm To Be Held On April 10th. And that's across the league's four television-network partners ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT and the highest average since the NBA's 2013-14 season. Also viewership for the seasons opening weekend rose 325% in Canada. Later in the season, the league also delivered its most-watched regular-season game since 2012, with ABC averaging 755,000 viewers for a matchup between the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky on Aug. 15. 2 Las Vegas Aces earned a double bye into the WNBA Semifinals (third round). It was the first WNBA game post All-Star Game and Olympic break airing in the afternoon on ABC. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. . Statistics; Cookie statement . Of the eight original teams, only the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and the New York Liberty have lasted. In addition to ESPN, this years WNBA games are being broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for the first time. Please do not hesitate to contact me. The WNBA fails to generate even one percent of the NBA's $8-$9 billion in revenue. Im not going to rest till I fix that. said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. That would have been a perfect thing for them to have. Take the Orange Hoodie campaign in which the league partnered with ESPN and athletes across sport to push its signature orange logo hoodie, sold by Fanatics, as well as general excitement in the lead-up to its opening weekend in late July. 2 seeded Chicago Sky and the reigning Finals MVP Kahleah Copper begin their defense of the WNBA title at home against the seventh seeded New York Liberty and All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. NBA games average 2 million TV viewers per game;WNBA games averaged 246,000 viewers during the 2019 regular season, according to Sports Media Watch (well ignore the 2020 season impacted by the pandemic). Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. . It hasnt helped that womens sports came late to the game. The three-game series averaged 848,000 viewers. Sports on TV: Here's how pro sports championship viewership has fared Yet that unfortunately was the same night the Clippers lost Game 7 to the underdog Denver Nuggets on ESPN, which earned 5.2 million viewers, a very strong number for the NBA pre-conference finals, Lewis said. Sky guard Kahleah Copper won the 2021 Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series.